I nodded, grateful for the change of subject. “I’m going to meet Prince Aldian as the Fyreham Lathian, and when he sees I’m a suitable partner, he’ll marry me,” I said. “And then my parents will receive the royal dowry, and my mother won’t have to make her own cheese, and everyone will be happy.”
Silrisar blinked. “Oh. And you’ll be happy with that arrangement, will you?”
“Why wouldn’t I be? I’m marrying theprince.It’s a great honor!”
Silrisar tugged on one of his many earrings. “Well, as long as you like him, I suppose.”
“I haven’t met him yet,” I said, “but I’m sure he’s very nice.”
“Oh,” said Silrisar. “I thought you must have… at some point…” He cleared his throat. “Well, then. That’s very interesting. Good luck to you, Sparrow.”
“Traditional,” Elowin said again, exchanging a glance with Silrisar. “Another cider, Sparrow?”
“Yes, please.”
And after that, Silrisar changed the subject, and nobody talked about Hillstowe, or me, again.
Idid not like peeing in the woods. I liked taverns that had chamber pots. The woods were very, very dark, and what if I peed on a sleeping rabbit? I’d never forgive myself. The rabbit would probably have opinions as well.
“Hurry up, Sparrow,” Elowin said.
“I’m looking for the right tree.”
“There was nothing wrong with the last five!”
“I think they can still see us from the camp.” I let out a little screech as Elowin loomed out of the darkness right in front of me. “Oh! You scared me!”
I couldn’t see his expression, but I heard his sigh. “Hurry up, Sparrow. I would rather go to sleep than spend half the night traipsing around in the woods waiting for you to take a piss.”
My face heated up at his language. “Well, maybe this tree will work.”
“Maybe it will,” he agreed in a tone of voice that suggested it had better.
After checking for rabbits and other small animals, I turned my back toward him, lowered my leggings, and started to pee. The sound of the stream hitting the undergrowth was loud in my ears, and I jolted when moments later it was joined by the sound of someoneelsepeeing.
I looked up, shocked, to find Elowin standing right next to me with his own leggings halfway down his thighs. It was too dark to see anything—not that I looked! Well, accidentally perhaps—butstill. Peeing wasprivate,especially for a genteel elf.
It seemed to take forever, but eventually we finished up and silently started the walk back. It was a lot farther to the campsite than I’d realized, so perhaps my concerns that someone would see us had been unfounded after all. As we walked, Elowin said, “If it makes you feel any better, Prince Aldian often pees in the woods.”
“Really?” I stopped walking and stared at him, open-mouthed.
“Really,” he said, the flash of his smile cutting through the darkness. “Aldian likes the outdoors, and more than once he’s ducked behind the nearest tree.”
Something about the way he said it caught my attention. “So do you know him quite well, then?” It occurred to me that maybe I’d underestimated Elowin and he wasn’t just any guard. Perhaps he was the prince’s personal guard.
“Well enough,” he said, rubbing a hand over the back of his neck. “Come on, let’s get back to camp.” He set a brisk pace, and before long the campsite came into view.
When we arrived back, Silrisar nodded in the direction of an empty bedroll under the canopy. “I hope you don’t mind sharing.”
“We’re not taking someone’s bed, are we?” I asked doubtfully. “That seems rude.”
He shot me a wicked grin. “Trust me, it’s fine. Alariel’s more than happy to share my bedroll.”
Oh.I hoped my blush wasn’t too obvious in the firelight.
Elowin had already pulled off his boots and turned down the bedroll, and I hurried to take my boots off too. I glanced around to see what the etiquette was—nightshirts or no?—and discovered that most of the elves were peeling off all their layers down to their thin braies. I was breathlessly pleased that Elowin did not. He kept on his leggings and shirt as he made space for me on the bedroll. Which was good, because I wasn’t sure I would be able to sleep with that much gorgeous skin on display.
With that muchimproprietyon display, I meant.
